I love a great film, a great movie, a great story! and documentaries are some of my favorite films because they follow a real life story following someone’s transformation into their healthiest selves. I’ve seen pretty much every health documentary out there and these were just some of my favorites that I feel have had the biggest impact when it comes to health and wellness. So here’s a list of the top 10 health documentaries of all time!

Leave your comments on this post to share which health documentary was your favorite or to share one that is not yet on the list! Each title on the list is clickable to learn more about the film.

May I Be Frank is a health film that follows Frank Ferrante, a 54 yr old Italian from New York on his journey from being obese, out of shape and unhealthy to being healthy, vibrant and thin again. During this journey he repairs past relationships with his family, and his whole life does a complete 180. It’s an amazing film that I thoroughly enjoyed! A few good laughs as well.

Food Matters is a health documentary that discusses why our food is so important. It discusses why and how food should be our medicine and why pesticides, genetically modified foods, pharmaceuticals etc. do not make sense and are not in the true best interest of our population. You will learn about the quality of food and how to differentiate the real health solutions vs. the fake band-aid fads which permeate our society today. Worth watching for sure!

Food Inc. is a health film that covers the food industry from a corporate perspective. It shows you how we used to eat and how that has vastly changed. It shows you behind the curtain of the world’s most powerful food companies and why they want to hide from you the information and transparency of what’s in your food. It pulls the curtain back and helps you understand the importance of your food and how you can make the best choices in your personal life.

Fat sick and nearly dead is one of my favorite health films. Joe Cross is an Australian who is overweight, and is “2 cheeseburgers away from a heart attack.” He goes on a juice fast as he travels around America for 60 days. He meets people with health issues around America and as he transforms himself he inspires others to transform themselves and their health as well. It’s one of the most inspiring health documentaries out there by far.

Simply Raw is a film about reversing diabetes in 30 days. The film walks a group of diabetics into transforming their life and eating raw foods. It’s an amazing story with lots of heart and it shows the struggle of transitioning into a Raw Food diet from a standard American diet (S.A.D.) It’s inspiring and I hope that all diabetics watch it!

Hungry For Change documents how the “food” we eat is more like ‘food-like substances’ and has led us down a path that doesn’t help to support our health as it used too. It really exposes the weight loss, fat and diet/fad industry. It’s an amazing film that has a very inspiring ending! It’s one of the most inspiring health documentaries I’ve seen. You’ll have to watch it to find out.

Forks over knives quite literally discusses why you should be using your fork more often than your knife. They talk about the causes of diseases and how the western diet is not nearly as beneficial as diets in the east. They dissect the value and benefit of a plant and vegetable based diet. I recommend watching it and eating more plant based foods as well too!

The Real Dirt on Farmer John is a story about how a farmer goes from farming using traditional monoculture methods to farming in a more sustainable way using permaculture and horticulture principles. You get walked through his journey and see his struggle but at the end you get to see how his persistence, dedication, and willingness to be weird, odd, artistic and outside of the box help him and help the co-op that he feeds fresh organic produce. Worth watching for sure!

The Sacred Science is a documentary I just recently saw that I was really impressed with. They take a group of eight people and take them to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru. They work with Shamans and healers to help heal them of their conditions ranging from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more. In this film they not only help heal these people who are sick on a physical level but on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level as well. They have a ayahuasca ceremony as well as use many herbs that I am familiar with and take myself. It’s important to me because the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most medicinal reservoirs on this planet. It produces 25% of our oxygen, so understanding the value of it is crucially important to our future health and well-being. We need to preserve it and recognize the value of it. I highly recommend this one.

The Beautiful Truth: Gerson therapy is a film documenting Charlotte Gerson and the Gerson therapy which was a health therapy created by Dr. Max Gerson, Charlotte’s father, who was poisoned to death for spreading a cure. It is deep, riveting, and makes you want to join a health tribe and continue spreading the message. Charlotte is an inspiring woman who has aged very gracefully and is worth listening too in this film.
There are many other great health films, such as vegucated, earthlings, supersize me, and King Corn. I just wanted to give credit to and share some of my favorite health documentaries that have inspired me to make better decisions in my health. You will learn something unique from each of these health films so I encourage that you watch all of them and share them with friends. Each documentary is clickable to learn more or watch so enjoy the viewing with some healthy snacks!

Leave a comment below to share your favorite health documentaries I may have missed on this list as well as sharing which film is your favorite and why.

~ Pura Vida ~

David Benjaminis a holistic health blogger, podcaster and publisher. He writes and produces media related to diet, nutrition, health, fitness, green living, spirituality, sustainability and more. He is the best-selling author of “Dirt Cheap Weight Loss: 101 Ways To Lose Weight On A Budget” You can get a free book from him entitled “Your Supplements Suck” at HealthyWildAndFree.com. You can also follow for health updates and inspirational ideas on Facebook, and subscribe on Youtube.